Actuating mechanism for coaxial switch



-R. L. GATES ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR COAXIAL SWITCH Filed July 50, 1952 Feb. 5, 1957 I zwmmw 2 Sheets-Sheet l EIYFE ITZTUT Richard L. Gazes Feb. 5, 1957 Filed July 50 1952 R. L. GATES ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR COAXIAL SWITCH 2 Sheets- Sheet 2' Ficfzara L. Gates fl r11 5- Uited States Richard L. Gates, Eastlake, Ohio, assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July so, 1952, Serial No. 301,653

2 Claims. (Cl. 74-4527 This invention relates to a detent mechanism, and more particularly to a detent mechanism for acting on the shaft of a rotor of a coaxial switch for precise positioning of the rotor at selected switching positions.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a detent mechanism which is readily manufactured and which can be mounted by a single mounting pin.

It is another important object of the present invention to provide a detent-mechanism including a detent gear and a roller cooperating therewith wherein the roller may be selectively adjusted with respect to the gear.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simplified detent means for a coaxial switch rotor shaft.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a coaxial switch embodying a novel detent mechanism according to the present in vention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line II--II of Figure l with parts in elevation;

Figure 3 is an elevational view, looking from the left in Figure 2, of a first form of detent mechanism according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is an elevational view similar to Figure 3, but showing a second form of detent mechanism according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a further elevational view similar to Figure 3, but showing a third form of detent mechanism in accordance with the teachings and the principles of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mounting bushing for mounting the roller arm of the detent mechanism; and

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the bushing of Figure 6.

As shown on the drawings:

The detent mechanism of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with a coaxial switch wherein a rotor is to be selectively positioned at a plurality of pre selected switching locations. In such an application, the driving mechanism such as a solenoid which is actuated in a step-by-step manner indexes the rotor to a position within the operative range of the detent mechanism which detent mechanism then precisely locates the rotor at the selected switching position.

In Figures 1 and 2, a coaxial switch 10 is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation, as being of the single pole type wherein a single main terminal 11 receives a coaxial cable (not shown) for selective connection with cables connected with the branch terminals, such as 12. The coaxial cable is connected with the main terminal 11 by means of threads 13 and has its outer conductor connected with the branch terminal 12, for example, by means of the interior wall 14 of the '7 atent O ice main terminal, the interior wall 15 defining the elbow passage in the rotor16 and the interior wall 18 in the branch terminal 12. The inner conductor of the coaxial cable is connected with the inner conductorZl) of main terminal 11 which is, in turn, connected through rotor elbow conductor 21 and branch terminal inner conductor 22 with the inner conductor of a coaxial cable connected with the branch terminal 12. The inner conductors 20, 21 and 22 are supported in spaced relation to the outer conductors 14, 15 and 18 by means of insulation sleeves 25, 26 and 27. It will thus be apparent that to connect the main terminal with one of the branch terminals, the rotor 16 is rotated on a central axis coincident with the axis of the main terminal 11 so as to register the inner elbow conductor 21 with the inner conductor of the selected branch terminal.

The rotor may be driven to a selected position by any suitable indexing mechanism (not shown) contained within the actuating housing 29. The actuating housing 29 is connected with a closure plate 31]) which, in turn, has a central boss 31 telescoping within the central chamber of the switch body 32.

The rotor shaft 33 extends centrally through the closure plate 30 and carries a detent gear 35 on a gear hub 37. A pair of detent arms 38 and 39 are mounted by means of a pin 40 connected to the closure plate 30. The pin 46 carries a spacer 41 interposed between the closure plate 30 and the arm 39, and a bushing member 42 for adjustably mounting the arm 38, as will hereinafter be described. The arm 33 carries a roller 45 intermediate the ends thereof which, as shown in Figure 3, cooperates with the teeth 46 of the detent gear 35 to center the shaft at preselected angular positions. illustrated, the gear 35 has twelve teeth, so that the shaft will be conveniently centered at the six switching positions corresponding to the six branch terminals such as 12. As seen in Figure 3, the arm 38 extends below the shaft 33 and has a free end 50 beyond the shaft. The arm 39 has an arcuate edge portion 51 engaging the hub 37 and extends on the opposite side of the shaft from the arm 38 and likewise has a free end 53 extending beyond the shaft. The free ends 54) and 53 are oppositely notched as at 54 and 55 to receive a spring 56 therebetween for urging the roller 45 against the detent gear 35.

It will now readily be understood that the function of the bushing 42, Figures 2, 6 and 7, is to adjust the position of the roller 45 relative to the detent gear 35 so as to adjust the detent position for accurate positioning of the rotor 16 in the switching positions. As indicated in Figures 6 and 7, the bushing 42 includes a shoulder 58 offcenter with respect to the central bore 59 receiving the pin 40. The arm 38 has a circular opening into which the shoulder portion 58 projects as indicated in Figure 2. Thus, by rotation of the bushing 42, the roller is adjusted relative to the axis of the detent gear 35.

The detent mechanism illustrated in Figure 4 is similar to that illustrated in Figure 3 except that the arcuate edge portion 51 of the arm 39 contacts the hub 37 over more than a semi-periphery of the hub. The increased extent of the edge portion 51' is provided by a leg portion 60 extending from the free end of the arm 39. The detent mechanism is otherwise similar and corresponding parts have been given primed reference numerals.

In Figure 5, the arm 39" has an extension 62 loosely embracing the underside of the sleeve 37, so as to provide a circular edge 51" entirely surrounding the sleeve 37. In this embodiment, the roller 45" engages the detent gear 35 at a point more remote from the mounting pin 40 than in the other two embodiments so that the arm 38" is considerably longer while the arm 39 is somewhat shorter. Other parts are similar and have been In the embodiment mounting pin and a single spring, and a detent mecha nism'wherein the'detent position may be readily adjusted by means of an eccentric bushing.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range With out departing from the principles of this invention, and it'is, thereore, not the purpose of this specification to limit the patent granted'hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scopeof the appendedclaims.

' I claim. as'my invention:

1'. A detent mechanism comprising a detent wheel having recesses in its periphery, means rotatably mounting said wheel, a support adjacent said mounting means, a pin carried by said support, a pair of arms mounted on said pin, one of said arms extending on one side of said mounting means and having a free end beyond said mounting means, the other of saidarms in sliding engagement with the opposite side; of said mounting means and having a free end beyond said mounting means, detent-engaging means carriedby said one arm for engaging a recess in said detent Wheel, said one arm being pivotal on said pin to accommodate movement of said detent-engaging means relative to said Wheel, and spring means extending between the free ends of said arms to urge the detent-engaging means into the engagement with said wheel, said pin being the sole connection to said support for said arms and spring, said other arm extending on the, opposite side of said mounting means having an arcuate edge bearing on said mounting means to efiect said sliding engagement, and said mounting means comprising a hub contacting said arcuate edge over less than a semi-periphery thereof, the spring-receiving free end'of said other arm being disposed in a direction from the spring-receiving free end of said one arm generally at right angles to' a radial line from said pin to the spring-receiving end of said one arm.

2;. A detent mechanism comprising a'detent Wheel having recesses in its periphery, means rotatably mounting said wheel, a support adjacentsaid mounting means, a pin carried by said support, a pair of arms mounted on said pin, one of said arms extending on one side of said mounting means and having a free end beyond said mounting means, the other of said arms in sliding engagement with the opposite side of said mounting means and having a free end beyond said mounting means, detentengaging means carried by saidone arm for engaging a recess in said detent wheel, said one arm being pivotal on said pin to accommodate movement of said detentengaging means relative to said Wheel, spring means extending between the free ends of: said arms to urge the detent-engaging means into the engagement with said wheel, said pin being the sole'connection to said support for said arms and spring, said other arm extending on the opposite side of said mounting means having an arcuate edge hearing on said mounting means to effect said sliding engagement, and said mounting means comprising a hub contacting-said arcuate edge over less than a semi-periphery thereof, the spring-receiving free end of said other arm being disposed in a direction from the spring-receiving free end of said one arm generally at right angles to a radial line from said pin to the springreceiving end of said one arm, said mounting pin having a circular periphery, and a bushing having a circular bore receiving said mounting pin and having an axially extend ing circular shoulder eccentric with respect to said bore, said one arm having a circular opening for receiving said eccentric shoulder for adjustment of said one arm by rotation of said bushing on said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,878 Smith Nov. 15, 1932 2,359,661 Moody "Oct. 3, 1944 2,436,750 Gray Feb; 24, 1948 2,504,027 Kuhlman Apr. 11, 1950 2,680,971 Kreiner June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 5, 1946 

